Burn planned to start Thursday west of Winthrop

WINTHROP  The Methow Valley Ranger District is gearing up for a prescribed burn Thursday on about 20 acres 10 miles west of town.

The burn area is in the Lucky 2 Timber Sale unitis located about a quarter-mile from the Eidwlweiss community, Assistant Fire Management Officer Meg Trebon said.

“Actual ignition on that date will depend on conditions in the unit that day, smoke approval from (the state Department of Natural Resources), and staffing,” she said.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the National Weather Service was forecasting a 60 percent chance of rain Thursday in the Winthrop area.

Other nearby areas slated to burn are still blocked with snow, she said. Trebon estimated it could take another week or two before the Ranger District can access those areas.

This season, the Methow Valley Ranger District is planning prescribed burns northwest of town near Eightmile Creek and Fawn Creek; west of Twisp near Little Bridge Creek; and west of Methow in the McFarland Creek and Squaw Creek drainages.

Tonasket Ranger District has also planned prescribed burning treatments in the Mt. Annie and the Lyman Lake areas; both southeast of Tonasket, as well as the Mutton area north of Conconully and the North Flank project area near Havillah.